An "ecumenical" Award to the Papal Council for the Unity of Christians and to the Commission of Faith and Constitution of the Ecumenical Council of the Churches (Wcc), the two bodies that for 40 years have prepared and supported the celebration of the Week of Prayer for the Unity of Christians across the world. This is the 2008 Unity of Christians "Paul Wattson" Award and will be given in Rome (at the Pro-Union Centre) on Thursday 24th at 4.30 pm by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement to card. Walter Kasper, president of the Papal Council, and to pastor John Gibaut, director of Faith and Constitution of the Ecumenical Council. The ceremony will be opened by a conference by card. Kasper, followed by an ecumenical celebration of the Word, officiated by the Anglican bishop John Flack, director of the Anglican Centre of Rome. Preaching will be entrusted to Reverend John Gibuat. The "Paul Wattson" Award takes its name from the promoter of the Octave of Prayer for the Unity of the Church, which was held for the first time in Graymoor (United States) in January 1908. In 1968, the event was named "Week of Prayer for the Unity of Christians", which since then has been jointly prepared by the two award-winning bodies, thus beginning 40 years of ecumenical cooperation.
